October Is National Audiology Awareness Month

October is the American Academy of Audiology’s National Audiology Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about audiology and the importance of hearing protection.
Making this topic relevant and timely to the community, Hearing Plus Audiology reminds football fans (and arena-sports fans alike) that the best offense against hearing loss is a good defense.
“Your hearing is a key element to fully enjoying your time at the game,” said Dr. Susan Swain, of Hearing Plus Audiology. “Ironically, the things we love — from cheering and jeering to the halftime performance — are all things that could hurt our hearing. The better you protect your hearing, the longer you’ll be able to experience the things you love.”
Loud stadiums have become a source of pride for fans and teams across the country, but with stadium noise exceeding safe decibel (sound pressure) levels, it’s also a source of hearing loss. Cheering fans can push decibel (dB) levels well over 100 dB. At these levels, it only takes 1 to 15 minutes for the sound to damage your ears.
“Cheering while the away team is in a huddle gives football fans the opportunity to get in on the action, but football isn’t the only sport that puts fans at risk,” Swain said. “From vuvuzelas to referee whistles and fireworks, loud noise at sporting events is something all spectators should be aware of. The more awareness we raise about noise-induced hearing loss [NIHL], the more people we can help.”
The NIHL is damage done to the ears by exposure to loud noise; the amount of damage is dependent upon the decibel level and the length of time someone is exposed. Repeated exposure to sound levels above 85 dB can cause permanent hearing loss. Rather than not being able to hear at all, high-frequency sounds are usually the first to go, meaning someone may be unable to hear s, f, sh, ch, h, or soft c sounds.
National Audiology Awareness Month encourages regular hearing checkups combined with hearing protection to preserve hearing health. The focus includes helping those living with untreated hearing loss by offering educational pieces around technological advances in hearing aids.